Figure toy and process of making same



Dec. 2, 1941.

H. M. PORTER FIGURE TOY AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed July 18, 1938Harold M. Pol-ter- Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEHarold M. Porter, Hagerstown, Md., assignor to The Mitchel-TylerCompany, Hagerstown, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application July 18,1938, Serial No. 219,913

14 Claims.

This invention relates generally to figure toys and processes of makingthe same, and it relates more particularly to figure toys or dolls ofthe jointed member type.

Although of general application, the invention is especially applicableto jointed figure toys or dolls of the type known as puppets ormarionettes, which are representations of human or animal figures andwhich are movable by strings or equivalent means to simulate human oranimal movements. Accordingly, for convenience in explaining theprinciples of the invention, reference will be made, for the sake of aconcrete example, to the invention as applied to marionettes andprocesses of making the same, but it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to this particular use. I One of the objects ofthis invention is to provide a doll or marionette of simple, durable,inexpensive construction which is attractive in appearance and which canbe readily manipulated to reproduce and simulate life-like movements ofthe person or animal represented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process of constructingor producing a doll or marionette at minimum expense, the cost of bothmaterials and labor being very low, the number of hand operations orsteps being reduced to a minimum and many of the operations beingperformed at one time by machine.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved jointconstruction, to provide a costume which can be made and put on at lowcost, to provide a new head construction, to provide a body or frameworkof fiat, inexpensive sheet material formed to give lift-like thicknessto the body, and to provide an improved method of making these parts.

With the foregoing objects in view, as well as others which will becomeapparent as the disclosure proceeds, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and features of construction and procedure which will firstbe described and explained in connection with certain illustrativeembodiments of the broad principles involved and will then be moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention, in the form of a marionette,and of a method of making the same, will now be described in detail andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood, however,that the description of these specific embodiments of the invention ismerely illustrative and is not restrictive. In this drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the front of a marionette embodying thisinvention, the figure being turned slightly to its right, with its leftleg and right arm slightly raised, parts of the costume being brokenaway,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the framework of the figure,without the head and feet and with the arms and legs unbent,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the framework, including the head and feet, butwithout the costume, the left leg and right arm being slightly raised asin Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view, in section, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring'in detail to the drawing, l indicates generally a doll ormarionette embodying this invention and having a skeleton framework orbody 2. This skeleton framework or body comprises a base 3 formed or cutfrom a single piece of substantially rigid sheet material, such ascardboard or the like, having adhesively secured to one face thereof alayer or sheet of flexible reinforcing material or fabric 4, such asmuslin or the like, and shaped to provide a trunk 5, a neck 6, arms 1, 8and legs 9, II] in representation of a human figure which, in thepresent instance, is a clown. The framework is also provided with a headII and feet l2, I3, to be referred to more fully hereinafter.

In order to permit movement of the various parts of the framework orbody to simulate human movements, the framework'is provided with aplurality of bending lines or score marks or cuts l4, I5, l6, l1, I8 andI9 to provide neck, shoulder, elbow, thigh, knee and ankle joints, respectively. These bending lines or score marks are provided in one sideof and extend through or substantially through the entire thickness ofthe cardboard base 3, but not through the layer or sheet of flexiblereinforcing material 4, whereby extremely fiexible, reinforced jointsare provided, the flexible material or fabric 4 acting as hinges for thejoints.

In order to permit realistic reverse action or swinging of the lower orcalf portions of the legs toward the rear of the figure, twoclosely-spaced, parallel bending lines or cuts l8 are provided at eachknee joint and the cardboard between these cuts or score marks isremoved to provide a slot or space l8 in the cardboard at each kneejoint. In order to limit forward swinging of the calf portions of thelegs, independently of the thigh portions, as in the human body,abutments or stops 20, 21 are provided in the thigh and calf portions,respectively, of the framework adjacent to and on opposite sides of eachof the knee joints I8. In the example illustrated, the abutments 20, 2!are formed by tongues which are cut or stamped out of the cardboard base3 and the flexible material 4 and bent up at right angles and inalinement so as to abut and limit forward movement or swinging of thecalf portions relative to the thigh portions of the legs, opposedtongues or abutments being in engagement when the calf and thighportions are in alinement. It will be observed that the bending lines ofthe tongues 20, 2| are reinforced by the.

flexible material 4 and to provide additional re inforcement and to holdthe tongues in bent or set position, said tongues arelprovided adjacentsaid bending lines with bendable non-resilient metallic reinforcingmeans 22 which, in the present instance, comprise wire staples which arein serted in the cardboard base material 3 and the flexible material 4across the bending line and bent with the tongues 29,. 2| to hold themin set position. V

Thetongues or abutments 20, 2| function not only to limit movement oftheknee joints,.but

also to strengthen and give realistic thickness to an otherwisesubstantially fiat body or framework. Somewhat simil'ar' tongues 23 areprovided in the arms "I and 8 and bent to strengthen and give thicknessto these parts. The trunk is provided with two vertically extendingtongues 24, 25 which are bent'up at right anglestoward the front of thefigure and held in'this position by a brace member 26. Brace member 26is preferably madeof sheet material, suchas cardboard or the like,provided with a reinforcing layer or sheet of fabric, like otherparts-of the framework, and is substantially semi-circular in shape. Itis secured or connected to the trunk 5 and the tongues 24, 25 so that itis at right angles to said trunk and tongues, with its straight edgeagainst the trunk, the rounded edge of said brace and the free edges ofsaid tongues defining the'shape or contour of the front-portion of the"trunk 5 as well as strengthening and giving thickness thereto. Thebrace member and tongues can be connected or secured together by anysuitable means, as, for example, by slots or cuts 21 provided inthemeeting edges of these parts and arranged so that the brace memberand tongues will irictionally fit together at right angles to eachother.

28 indicates generally a-costume or garment which, in the presentinstance, is a clown suit and whiclnwhen applied or put on theframework,is filled out in a manner simulating the natural thickness of the humanbody by the'peripheral edges of the framework, including the tongues 28,2|, 23, 24, 25 and the brace member or piece 26. The specificconstruction and arrangement of costume 28 may differ widely, but in theparticularly desirable embodiment here shown it comprises a plurality ofseparate tubes or sleeves of flexible sheet material or cloth, one foreach of the arms and legs and another for the trunk, the latter tubeorsleeve being cut or slit on opposite sides at the top to provideopenings or slits for the arms. After slipping the tubes or sleeves overtheir respective parts of the framework, they are held in place byelastic cords or rubber bands 29 which fit around and gather theterminal portions of each sleeve to secure it to the body or framework,the latter being provided with opposed peripheral indentationsor'notches 38 into which the gath invention.

ered terminal portions of the sleeves and the rubber bands fit.

As previously pointed out, the framework is provided with a head II andfeet l2 and IS, the construction and arrangement of which may be of anysuitable character within the scope of the broad invention. However, thenovel head here disclosed has distinctpractical advantages and, togetherwith the process of making the same, constitutes an important feature ofthis It comprises a solid block or flat .piece of Wood which is cut outand then emtion.-

bcssed to provide a face or features in relief, both the cutting orstamping and the embossing or feature-forming operations being performedat-the same time on a punch press or the like by one die cutting andshaping opera- It is desirable to use rather soft wood, such as sugarpine, for example, and to press the features into the end grain of thewood. After the head has been formed, it is appropriately painted tosimulate thehea'd of the person to be representedin this 'caseia blown,and is then secured to the framework. For this pur-' pose, the lowerpart of thehead is,provided with a slot 3| to receive the neck 6offthefrarnework and which is secured in the slot by an adhesive orother suitable fastening or securing'means.

Thus it will be seen thata durable, inexpen= sive head, which is'bothpleasing and striking in appearance, is provided, the process of manufacturing the head making it possible to keep the costof both materialand labor very low.

The feet l2 and I3 may be of any suitable construction. In the exampleillustrated they are made of wood and areof such size and weight thatthey cause the jointedlegs to hang down straight, like pendulumswhenthe' franiework is held in a verticalposition; Each foot is providedwith a slot 32 in the upperrearportion thereof, the terminal orankleqportions of the legs of the figure each fitting into one of theslots and beingsecured therein'by an adhesive or other suitablefastening means. I

As the neck joint l4 and-ankle joints 19 are so close to the upper andlower terminals of the framework, respectively, additional reinforcingmeans 33 in the formof wire staples are pro- Vided at these points; saidstaples passing through both the cardboard base and'the flexible sheetmaterial on both sides of and adjacent the .neck and ankle joints,respectively; to reinforce and securelyhold together the layers of sheetmaterial at these points. I

The-control for supporting and'operating or manipulating the (1011 orfigureas a'marionette' comprises a handle bar or stick "34, to thecenter of which is secured one end-of a c'ord'or string 35, the otherend of which is secured to the head H by means of a tack 36 or similarfastening means. Strings =31 and '38,- are-securedto one end of the bar'34 and'to one arm and one leg of the marionette, respectively; strings39 and, 40 being secured to'the-other end'of the bar and to the otherarm and leg, respectively. The arrangement -;is such thatthe marionetteis supported or suspended by the stri'rig 35 and the arms and legs aremanipulatedoroperated by the strings 31, 39 a'rid'38, '40, respectively,the strings 31,19 for the farms being crossed, in the exampleillustrated, so that as one arm is raised, the oppositeleg is alsoraised, and vice versa, to 'give avery realistic and life-like movementof the marionette. .By manipulatingthe different strings, variousmovement'sandgestures of the human body, such as walking, dancing, etc.,can be simulated with great ease, the jointed framework bending at thedifferent joints to make these movement very natural and lifelike.

It is obvious that a marionette constructed and arranged as described isdurable, inexpensive and attractive in appearance whereby it isespecially adapted for use as a toy for children.

In constructing a marionette according to the process of this invention,a sheet of cardboard or the like, forming the base 3, is first coveredwith a sheet of flexible material 4 which is pasted or otherwiseadhesively secured to one side of the cardboard. This laminated sheet isthen die 1 stamped or cut to form the skeleton framework 2 having thetrunk 5, neck 6, arms I, 8 and legs 9, ll] (see Fig. 2). At the sametime the cardboard base 3 is scored or cut to form bending lines 14, I5,l6, ll, l8 and I9 for the neck, shoulder, elbow, thigh, knee and anklejoints, respectively, and the tongues 20, 2|, 23, 24 and 25 are also cutor punched out, horizontal slots 21 being provided in the tongues 24 and25 for attachment of the brace piece 26. As previously described, twoclosely spaced parallel lines I 8 are provided at each knee joint andthe cardboard between these lines is removed to form the slot IS. Thebending lines forming the various joints as well as the bending lines ofthe tongues are not cut through the flexible reinforcing material 4 sothat the latter joins and reinforces the cardboard on opposite sides ofthese bending lines. From the foregoing, it will be seen thatsubstantially the entire jointed framework is formed in one stampingoperation from one piece of laminated, reinforced sheet material.

The wire staples 22 and 33 are then applied. The head II and the feet I2and 13 are then attached to the framework, the various tongues are bentout at right angles, and the body brace piece 25 is secured in place.The various tubes or cloth sleeves constituting the costume 28 are thenplaced on the framework and the rubber bands 29 are applied to gatherand hold these tubes or sleeves in place. The strings 31, 38, 39 and 40are then attached to the marionette and to the control bar 34, afterwhich the completed marionette is ready for operation.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the detailsof structure and procedure shown and described and that various changesmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the broadinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A doll of flat sheet material provided with a bending line to form abendable joint movable in opposite directions, said sheet material beingprovided with abutments on opposite sides of said bending line to limitbending of said joint in one direction but permitting bending in theother direction.

2. A doll of sheet material provided with a bending line to provide ajoint, said sheet material being provided with integral abutment tongueson opposite sides of said joint to limit movement of said joint in onedirection but permitting movement in the other direction.

3. A doll of sheet material provided with a bending line to form abendable knee joint, said sheet material being provided. with integralabutment tongues out out of said sheet material on opposite sides ofsaid joint to limit movement of said joint in one direction, andreinforcing means of bendable non-resilient metallic material forretaining said abutment tongues in desired position.

4. A doll comprising a body of flat sheet material such as cardboard or,the like having a sheet of flexible reinforcing material secured to oneside thereof, said body being provided at spaced points with a pluralityof single score lines and a plurality of double closely-spaced parallelscore lines which extend through said flat sheet material but notthrough said flexible reinforcing material to form bendable jointshinged together by said flexible material, the sheet material betweensaid double score lines being removed whereby joints bendable inopposite directions are formed, and abutments cooperating with saidlast-mentioned joints to limit movement thereof in one direction.

5. A doll comprising a framework of sheet material provided withintegral tongues cut out of said sheet material and bent at right anglesthereto to reinforce and give thickness to said framework, theperipheral edges of said framework, including said tongues, defining theshape of said doll.

6. A doll comprising a flat body of sheet material such as cardboardorthe like provided with integral tongues cut out of said sheet materialand bent at right angles to said body to reinforce and give thickness tosaid body, and a piece of sheet material arranged at right angles tosaid body and said tongues and secured to said tongues to hold saidtongues in position and give thickness to said body.

7. A doll comprising an internal framwork of cardboard provided withintegral tongues cut out of said cardboard and bentat right angles toreinforce and give thickness to said framework, a piece of cardboardarranged at right angles to said framework and said tongues and securedto said tongues to hold the same in position and give thickness to saidframework, the peripheral edges of said framework, including saidtongues and cardboard piece, defining the shape of said doll, and agarment on said framework.

8. In a marionette, a pair of body members composed of relatively stifisheet material, and a tubular member composed of flexible sheet materialsecured about and supported by said body members, the plane of one ofsaid body members extending at an angle to that of the other, one ofsaid body members being formed with downward extensions comprising legsfor the marionette. v

9. In a marionette, a tubular portion composed of a sheet of flexiblesheet material, and means within the tubular portion for supporting thesame and lending shape thereto, said means including a pair of flatmembers of relatively stifi" sheet material disposed across the interiorof said tubular portion, the plane of one of said members extending atan angle to the other.

10. In a marionette, a tubular portion composed of a sheet of flexiblesheet material, and means within the tubular portion for supporting thesame and lending shape thereto, said means including a pair of flatmembers of relatively stiff sheet material disposed across the interiorof said tubular portion, the plane of one of said members extending atan angle to the other, one of said members being formed with lateral anddownward extensions forming respectively arms and legs for themarionette.

11'. In a marionette, a pair of body members composed of relativelystiff sheet materiaL'the plane of one of said body members extending atan angle to that of the other, a tubular member composed of flexiblesheet material and forming an article of clothing secured about saidbody members, one of said body members having a portion projecting abovethe upper end of the tubular member, and a head connected to theprojecting portion of said body member.

12. In a marionette, a body portion comprising a pair of members formedof relatively stiff sheet material to provide a body framework, theplane of one of said members extending at an angle to that of the other,a tubular member composed of flexible sheet material secured about saidtrunk portion and forming an article of clothing for said marionette,one of said body members being formed with downward extensionscomprising legs and an upward extension, and a head connected to saidupward extension.

13. A marionette having a tubular portion composed of a'sheet offlexible sheet material,

a body member composed-of relatively stiff sheet material disposedwithin said tubular portion for supporting the same and lending shapethereto, said body member being provided with extensions forming armsand legs, said arms having transverse bending lin'es forming shoulderand elbow joints and said legs having transverse bending lines forminghip, knee and ankle joints, weights constituting feet attached to thelegs, and a head articulatively attached to the upper end of said bodymember.

14. A doll-comprising a plurality of pieces of relatively stiff sheetmaterial assembled at angles to each other to form an internalframework, the peripheral edges of said pieces cooperating to define theshape of said doll, and a tubular member composed of flexible sheetmaterial and forming an article of clothing secured about saidframework.

HAROLD M. PORTER.

